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Friday, March 16, 2012

Five Fragrances for Five Classic Film Characters: a Group Blog

Ah, it's list time again! In other words, here comes my unnatural jubilation for strange associations and randomness transformed into logic. This time, myself and the rest of my blogging group (Persolaise, Olfactoria and Fragrant Moments) will be focusing on one of my favorite topics: Classic film characters. You should probably know that my idea of a classic does include the likes of Pink Flamingos as well as The Blue Angel.

Barrymore's tragic turn as Larry Renault in the 1933 film Dinner at Eight demonstrates what was so appealing about the oft-brooding actor: a beautiful sadness cuts his outwardly flawless masculinity and colors every move he makes. This makes Caron's Pour Un Homme perfect for him. By most accounts it is an exemplary fougere that, not surprisingly, many women have grown fond of wearing over time, probably because of the whiff of powderiness it graciously gives off. Once most of the top and middle notes have worn off, what remains is mild, sweet incense. Pour Un Homme is a classic that is still relevant and quite attractive; just like Mr. Barrymore.

Ah, Lola, the stunning seductress played by Marlene Dietrich in 1930's The Blue Angel. Who isn't obsessed with this woman, a burlesque performer with the world at her feet, with or without spats? The perfect scent for Lola is Le Labo's Patchouli 24, with its strong tobacco note, smoky birch tar and burnt vanilla. It has no gender, but what it does have is earthy sex appeal, and lots of it. It is a fragrance worthy of a beautiful woman in a tuxedo and top hat with a cigar.

Rasputin: The Mad Monk is one of my favorite Hammer films, not for its historical accuracy (ahem), but for the passionate and nearly perfect performance that Christopher Lee gave as Grigori Rasputin. It's what he was born to do. The fiercely intelligent, scary, hard-partying Rasputin needs a fragrance that will hold up to his exploits and desires, and Serge Lutens' Ambre Sultan is the only perfume that stepped up for the job. Ambre Sultan is a powerful herbal oriental scent with a thick coat of fur, perfectly suited to be the fragrant companion to one of the most interesting and fearsome con-men of all time.

Roman Polanski's1965 film Repusion shows the beautiful Catherine Deneuve on a downward spiral as she falls into the clutches of extreme paranoia and other assorted mental afflictions. Somehow, her beauty remains intact, even when she doesn't mean it to be so. Her beauty has cursed her, and the curse is slowly poisoning her mind. What is beautiful and also poisonous? Why, the Datura flower, of course. Sweet, ethereal and slightly bitter.

John Waters' 1972 film Pink Flamingos is the source of the magnetic pull that brought my husband and I together. And then I became one half of The Filthiest People Alive, and my husband, the other half (Raymond Marble). Connie is full of hatred for most living things, but especially Divine and wildlife. "Horrid little birds!" The sadly discontinued Le Feu d'Issey is like a blood orange and a habanero pepper were the subjects for some strange gene mutation experiments. The perfume screams much in the same way Connie Marble does: with fire and juiced-up passion.

Oh my goodness, I can't believe you have that Rasputin film on your list! It's been a long time since I've seen it, but I do recall that you're quite right: Christopher Lee gave a toe-curling performance. And you've got him perfectly pegged with Ambre Sultan. ;)

Hi Suzanne! I'm a Hammer freak. I have almost every film they ever made, I used to be a crazy collector (until I collected just about everything there is to collect). The other Hammer alum I was going to put in the list was Peter Cushing in Cash On Demand- that's a pretty obscure film. It's SO good, though. British bank heist, everything boiling under the surface, and it's Christmas. Brilliant!

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Published Material

Featured in Dariush Alavi's book Le Snob: Perfume, out Oct/Nov 2012. Published by Hardie Grant Books, UK

Carrie Meredith was interviewed for the Oct. 2011 issue of Allure Magazine